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| Southern California Grantmakers | |
|---|---|
| Name | Southern California Grantmakers |
| Formation | 1928 |
| Type | Philanthropic association |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California |
| Region served | Southern California |
| Leader title | President & CEO |
Southern California Grantmakers is a regional association of foundations, corporations, and individual funders based in Los Angeles. It serves as a hub for philanthropy in Los Angeles County, Orange County, California, San Diego County, California, Ventura County, California and nearby regions, convening grantmakers to coordinate funding, share research, and influence public policy. The organization interacts with nonprofit networks, government agencies, academic institutions, and community leaders across California and the United States.
Founded in 1928 during a period of institutional growth in Los Angeles and the broader Southern California region, the association emerged alongside philanthropic developments tied to families and institutions such as the Annenberg Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, W. M. Keck Foundation, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, and The Ahmanson Foundation. Over successive decades it responded to social changes following events like the Great Depression, World War II, the postwar expansion of University of California, Los Angeles and University of Southern California, and the demographic shifts evident in Los Angeles riots. The organization has adapted to trends associated with initiatives from entities such as Ford Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and local donors tied to sectors represented by California State University, Los Angeles and private philanthropies. Its evolution traces intersections with civic reforms influenced by leaders from City of Los Angeles government, regional planning efforts linked to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and legal frameworks shaped by decisions from the California Supreme Court.
The association’s stated mission centers on strengthening philanthropy through research, convening, and capacity building, aligning work with peers including Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, Council on Foundations, National Council of Nonprofits, Independent Sector (United States), and regional partners such as Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles and LA County Department of Public Health. Activities commonly involve convenings with funders affiliated with institutions like Kresge Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Carnegie Mellon University researchers, and policy allies such as California State Treasurer offices. The organization publishes reports and hosts events that attract presenters from RAND Corporation, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, USC Price School of Public Policy, and think tanks such as Brookings Institution and Public Policy Institute of California.
Membership comprises private foundations, corporate giving programs, individual philanthropists, and public charities, with affiliates drawn from entities such as Walt Disney Company, Kaiser Permanente, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Google', Meta Platforms, and family foundations like Anschutz Family Foundation and Walton Family Foundation-affiliated grantmakers. Governance is typically overseen by a board of directors drawn from philanthropy leaders, lawyers, and nonprofit executives associated with firms and organizations including O’Melveny & Myers, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Los Angeles Times, California Community Foundation, and academic partners at Claremont Graduate University. The chief executive role has been held by leaders with prior service in organizations such as United Way of Greater Los Angeles and The James Irvine Foundation.
Programs span capacity-building cohorts, grantmaking collaboratives, and learning networks that mirror models used by Collective Impact, Pay for Success (Social Impact Bond), and initiatives championed by MacArthur Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies. Specific initiatives have convened multi-stakeholder efforts addressing homelessness in partnership with Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, early childhood networks linked to First 5 California, and public health collaborations with California Department of Public Health and LA County Department of Mental Health. It has organized sector-specific programs informed by research from Urban Institute, Child Trends, and The Brookings Institution and practiced grantmaking experiments similar to efforts by Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
The association engages in policy advocacy and public education on issues affecting the nonprofit sector, participating in coalitions with groups such as California Association of Nonprofits, Philanthropy California, and national allies including Independent Sector and Council on Foundations. Policy priorities often intersect with legislation and administrative actions by the California State Legislature, the U.S. Congress, and regulatory guidance from the Internal Revenue Service and California Franchise Tax Board. It has provided testimony or coordinated funder responses on matters related to charitable deductions, nonprofit fiscal health, and regulatory compliance alongside legal experts from firms like Arnold & Porter and scholars from USC Gould School of Law.
Revenue sources include membership dues, event fees, sponsored research, and contributions from foundations and corporations such as John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, James Irvine Foundation, Mellon Foundation, and local corporate partners like Toyota Motor North America and AECOM. Financial stewardship follows nonprofit sector standards promoted by GuideStar, Charity Navigator, and fiscal policies aligned with accounting practices from Financial Accounting Standards Board. Grants and pooled funds administered by the association often mirror collaborative vehicles used by Californians for the Arts and regional pooled funds influenced by models at The San Francisco Foundation.
Partnerships span universities, civic entities, and nonprofits, with evaluative collaborations involving researchers at UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, California State University, Northridge, and research organizations such as Independent Sector, The RAND Corporation, and TCC Group. Impact evaluation employs methodologies resonant with standards from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention evaluations, outcome frameworks used by What Works Clearinghouse, and performance measurement practices advocated by Grantmakers for Effective Organizations. Cross-sector partnerships have targeted outcomes influenced by municipal strategies from the City of Long Beach, California, regional planning by the Southern California Association of Governments, and public-private collaborations echoing models from Mayor’s Office of Los Angeles initiatives.